Watchmaker&#39;s roller table jewel pin setting jig



Oct. 7, 1952 J. AIELLO 2,612,801

WATCHMAKER'S ROLLER TABLE JEWEL PIN SETTING JIG Filed Aug. 28, 1947 I Patented Oct. 7, 195 2 /JA'KCHIVIAKERS ROLLERTABLE JEWEL P'IN 1 SETTINGJIG i I Joseph Aiello, Pittsburgh, Pa. Lena lfitus, execu- 't-rix' of said Joseph Aiello, deceased Application August 28, 194-7, Serial'Nc. 771,101

This invention relates to a watchmakers jig for setting a jewel pin in a balance wheel roller table. Practically every watch made on the market today contains a removable roller table. The most-commonly used are the single roller, the double roller and the two-piece roller, all three types having an opening to receivea jewel pin.

Thestructure of a single roller table consists of a metal disk with a center hole which fits on the stall of the balance, wheel, and a second hole placed oif centerto receive the jewel pin.

The structure of a two-piece double roller table is identical to the singleroller table and includes in addition, a safety roller.

The one-piece double roller table is constructed the same as the two-piece double roller table except. that the two discs which are held together by a hollow tubularshaft, do not come apart and are removed from the balance staff as one piece.

A jewel pin is made of ruby,sapphire or garnet. The jewel pin is set by heat concentrated on the roller table in order to-soften the shellac used to hold the jewel in place..

Invariably a jewel pin must be re-set or replaced due to the fact that the motionof the balance wheel in a time-piece may cause the jewel pin to become looseor to breakaway from the 3 Claims. (01. 81-6) roller table. Setting a jewel pin. in place on a roller. table is not a simpletask. It requires a delicate skill inhandlingthe jewel pin with a pair of tweezers while applying heat to soften the shellac causin t to. penetrate around the jewel pinin the opening of. the roller table while the roller is on the balance wheel. This method of setting a roller jewel is inadequate because the heat froman open flame of an alcohol lamp is harmful to a balance wheel in that it disoolors, anneals and often-twists the balance wheel out-of round.

Tong-like tools have been designed for'holding the roller table alone, i. e. after removal from the balance wheel, but. this has not proved very practicaL- Various other tools have been suggested, in which oneor more adjustments have to be made, toihold the roller table in proper position, such as tightening screws, pressing a lever, etc.; but these are more complicatedthan desired.

The present invention has several advantages in that it is more simply constructed, less complicated. in its design and much more practical in itsuse. It involves merely a one-two operation whereby a roller table is'set firmly in-pla'ce with the least amount ofmefiort. Itv relates to an improvedmethod of setting a jewel pin in a roller table after: a'roller table has been removed from the balance wheel, thus eliminating the harm that heat causes to the balance wh e This jig has particular advantages in the feae tures that; firmly hold a roller table in position without risk of losingit as there is no forceful gripping. Also there are no adjustments to be made on the jig for setting a roller table in position for jewel replacing.

In the accompanying drawing which is given for the sake of illustrating one embodiment of the invention, like reference numerals represent like parts. a Figures 1, 2 and view respectively of the jewel pinsetting jig, with a portion of the handle cut out.

Figure 4 shows the front view of the jig. Figure 5 shows top view of plate 4 with a'slotted opening.

Figures 6 and '7 show a side and spectively of a single roller table.

top view re Figures 8- and 9 show a side andltop view respectively of a double roller table.

Figures 10 and 11 show, in perspective, a portion of the jig, with-a single and double roller table respectively held in; position. 7

Referring now to Figsal, 2 and 3,0ne modification of the invention will be described in detail. The jig consists of a wooden handle I into one end of which is pressed the, taperedend In of the metal base 2.-- Fastened to the metal base 2 with screws 3' at one end is a V-slotted double roller table holder, metal plate 3. It is so designed as to ,hold any size one piece double roller table because its long narrow V-shaped slot, which is flared, out at its mouth for easy insertion of the roller table, is slightly Wider at its mouth than the largest doubleroller table shaft. The v-slot should-be about 8 to 15, preferably about 10-12, times aslong as its width at its open end exclusive of the flare. The open ends or plate 3 are detached from base plate 2 and rest on pins 5' which are fastened to base plate 2, The purpose of pins 5' is tokeep the outer end of plate 3 raised in order to allow a double-roller table to slide freely into the V-slot to be held firmly where theslot width equals the outer diameter of the roller table shaft. the base plate 2 byscrews 4 at the rear end-of double roller table holder plate -3 is the single rollerv table'holderi plate 4' which is a semi-slotted plate of metal so designed as to hold any-size of single .rollertable'firmlywith the aid of pin. 6' fastened tothe'upper arm of the V-shaped spring 5. The pin 6 is raised and lowered by the back- 3 show a side, top and bottom Fastened to holder plate 4 by itself.

ward and forward sliding manipulation of clip I the lower edges of the sides of which are bent underneath the lower arm of the V-shaped spring 5, for holding the upper and lower arms of said spring together. Pin 6 is designed to enter the center hole of any size single roller table in order to hold it in place on plate 4 for setting a jewel pin in the jewel pin hole in the roller table. The closed end of the fiat V-shaped spring 5 is held in place by an arched strip of metal 8 soldered to the base plate 2 and the outer end of the lower arm of the spring 5 is held by screw 9 which fastens it to plate 2, at or near the rear end of'the double roller table holder plate 3, and of the single roller table holder plate 4.

Figure 4, which is a front end view, shows the pin 6 substantially in its closed or roller table holding position, but without showin the roller table.

Figure 5 shows a top view of single roller table Its slot can be made deeper and pointed if desired; and the rounded jaws of this plate can be extended outwardly further if desired to heat them over a flame without heating the entire base 2 and the double roller table holder plate 3.

In Figure 6, a side view and in Fig. '7, a top view, of a single roller table II, a jewel pin [3 is shown in proper position.

Figure 8 shows a side view of a double roller table [2, with its upper and lower discs connected by a hollow tubular shaft, and with a jewel pin in its proper position.

Figure 9 shows a top view of'the same'double roller table shown in Figure 8.

In operating the invention, 1. e. in using the jig, if desired to set a jewel pin in a single roller table, after removal from the balance wheel of a watch, the roller table is placed on plate 4 while pin 6 is up, centering the center hole of the roller table beneath the pin 6, and with the jewel pin hol positioned to the front, over the slot in plate 4. Then the clip 1 is slid forward by means of its knob 14 to push pin 6 down into the top of th center hole of the roller table and thus lock the latter firmly as shown in Figure 10.

The thickness of plate 4 should thus be at least as great as the longest jewel pin to be set in a single roller table. A thickness of about inch is satisfactory.

For setting a jewel pin in a double roller table,

the latter is placed on the front end of base plate 2, with its lower disc resting on base 2, and is then slid into the narrowing V-shaped slot in double roller table holder plate 3 until it comes to rest firmly, as shown in Figure 11. The pins 5' which screw into base 2, should raise the front ends of plate 3 about ,4 to 3; inch above the base 2 to allow clearance for various double roller table lower discs, anything slightly less than & inch thick. Plate 3 may be about V to 1;; inch thick.

After the roller table, whether single or double, is properly positioned on the jig, the jewel pin is inserted in the "jewel pin hole, usually with a snug fit, and then heat is applied anywhere beneath the base of the jig while holding it over a small flame such as used in a small alcohol lamp. The flame should be concentrated under the base of the jig beneath the position on which a roller table rests, thus allowing the roller table to be heated quickly while the Jig is played over the flame.

One end of a thin strand of shellac is touched to the jewel pin at the setting while warm. This heat will melt the shellac to flow around the jewel pin, and it is then permitted to cool and set.

The upper disc of a two-piece roller table is handled just like a single roller table.

Figures 1-5 are drawn on a scale of twice the actual size found to be satisfactory, although actual dimensions and proportions may be varied somewhat, while still operating within the scope of the present invention.

The handle I may be made of. wood or other heat-insulating non-metallic material, such as a fire-resistant, insulating composition of asbestos fiber and cement, and is preferably about 3 to 4 inches long.

The other parts may be made of brass, steel, or other metal or alloy.

What is claimed is:

1. A watchmakers jig, comprising a sheet metal base, having a heat-insulating handle, and having mounted flatwise thereon a singleroller-table-holding slotted metal plate having a length and width about 1 to 3 times the diameter of a watch roller table and having a thickness not substantially greater than the portion of a jewel pin protruding from a roller table, the back end of said plate being rigidly and directly attached to said base near the handle end thereof, and the front end of said plate being slotted with a slot having a length about 3 to 10 times its mouth width and having an interior width as great as the thickness of a jewel pin, said jig also having mounted thereon a resilient V- shaped strip having a conical locking pin at the free end thereof, so positioned that when said pin is closed by pressing toward the rollertable-holding plate the locking pins point will be substantially directly over the point of the slot in said plate, and a slidable clip on said resilient strip for locking said pin in a closed position, in the center hole of a single roller table.

2. A jig according to claim 1, having mounted fiatwise between the base and the single-rollertable-holding slotted plate an elongated V- slotted double-roller-table-holding metal plate, the back end of which is rigidly and closely attached to said base near the handle end thereof, and the front end of which held raised slightly above the forward end of the base, said elongated V-slot being 8 to 15 times as long as its width at its open end, and said V-slot being adapted to hold a double roller table tightly at a position slightly further from the handle than the single-roller-table-holding plate.

3. A watchmakers jewel pin setting jig comprising a long narrow sheet metal base, having a heat-insulating handle attached to one end, and also having mounted flatwise thereon an elongated V-slotted rigid double-rollertableholding metal plate, the back end of which is rigidly and closely attached to said base near the handle end thereof, and the front end of which is held raised slightly above the forward end of the base by pins fastenedto the base plate, said V- slot being 8 to 15 times as long as its width at its open end, said jig also'having mounted thereon a resilient V-shaped strip, the lower arm of which is attached to the jig near the back end of the rollertable-holding metal plate, the upper arm of said resilient-strip having a conical pin at the free end thereof, and a slidable clip being mounted on and surrounding both arms of said resilient strip adapted to pull the upper arm of the resilient strip down to the lower arm thereof and hold it in a closed position by sliding said clip toward said conical pin, thereby permitting said pin to be locked in a closed position in the center hole of a double-rollertable, and permitting said locking pin to be released from looking position by sliding of the clip away from said pin toward the handle of the jig.

JOSEPH AIELLO.

REFERENCES CITED,

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Zimmerman Aug. 24, 1886 Brosius Apr. 17, 1906 Anne May 22, 1906 Sloan Oct. 29, 1907 Mahr May 10, 1932 Wilton Feb. 11, 1941 

